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Argument:
(1) A city has an extensive subway system
(2) This city replaced the old map with a new one.
(3) Unlike the old map, this new map does not show the distance between stops
(4) BUT, the passengers like the new map. They say it helps them have a better understanding of the time of communite

Question: Resolve the Paradox

Paradox situation:
(1) Old map provides information on the distance between two stops and the new map does not.
(2) Despite this lack of information, the passengers prefer the new map, saying it helps them analyse the time it takes to reach their destination

(A) The new map is more compact, making it much easier for subway riders to carry and to use. Incorrect - We need to prove that the new map, despite lacking the information on distance between two stops is yet very helpful in determining the the time it takes to reach the destination. Showing that the benefit of the new map is that it can easily be carried DOES NOT help us prove the point in Italic

(B) Improvements in the subway system have cut the average duration of a regular subway rider’s trip by twenty percent. Incorrect - Great! now people take less time (than before) to reach their stop. There is no correlation between the new map and the improvements.

(C) The new map, unlike the old map, lists the times that each subway line is in operation on each day of the week. Okay, so now we have some information about the new map and number of time each line is operational. But hold on, the number of times that each line is operational is not going to help the passengers calculate the time taken to reach their stop.

Note - Had this option stated some sort of correlation between the times that each line is operational and the time taken to commute, we could have made some use of this choice.

(D) On the new map, circles representing stops have numbers indicating the average number of minutes to the next stop. Correct. So the new map has circles. Each circle is has some numbers mentioned on it. These numbers indicate the average time that the passenger will take to reach his/her destination. Great, now we know why despite the lack of "distance information" the new map is preferred. Because it indicates the time of travel

(E) The old map showed several stops that were actually out of operation for more than a year. Incorrect - So option (E) is pointing out a flaw in the old map. BUT, just because the old map had flaws, that does not help us prove that the new map was efficient.

Note - If we have A and B, and we need to prove that people prefer B over A then we need to prove that B is better than A and not simply state that A has some flaws. By stating the flaws in A will make the reader believe that he/she must avoid A. But it doesn't prove that the reader must chose B.

Correct choice: (D)
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The city of Borgen, which has an extensive subway system, has made available a new map that, unlike the old map, does not show the relative distances between stops; any pair of consecutive stops appears as close as any other pair of consecutive stops. Despite this difference, most regular subway riders prefer the new map, saying that it gives them a better sense of how much time it will take to ride to their destination.

Premise 1: The city of Borgen, which has an extensive subway system, has made available a new map

New Map of Borgen Metro

Premise 2: new map that, unlike the old map, does not show the relative distances between stops; any pair of consecutive stops appears as close as any other pair of consecutive stops.

New Map does not have information which was available in old map

Conclusion: Despite this difference, most regular subway riders prefer the new map, saying that it gives them a better sense of how much time it will take to ride to their destination.

Even No earlier Info...People have better sense of timing.

Assumption: New map is having new info about Metro timing.



Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why regular subway riders say that the new map gives them a better sense of how much time it will take to ride to their destination? Solve the paradox

(A) The new map is more compact, making it much easier for subway riders to carry and to use.
Ok its compact, But how they are able to reach on time.

(B) Improvements in the subway system have cut the average duration of a regular subway rider’s trip by twenty percent.
We are interested in MAP not in Subway system

(C) The new map, unlike the old map, lists the times that each subway line is in operation on each day of the week.
Ok hold...they are talking about time...but they are just telling us about the operation of metro. But I need the info of time between the station so that I can calculate my time distribution. Therefore Incorrect
(D) On the new map, circles representing stops have numbers indicating the average number of minutes to the next stop.
Yup this is the correct answer

(E) The old map showed several stops that were actually out of operation for more than a year. We need info about new map
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The city of Borgen, which has an extensive subway system, has made available a new map that, unlike the old map, does not show the relative distances between stops; any pair of consecutive stops appears as close as any other pair of consecutive stops. Despite this difference, most regular subway riders prefer the new map, saying that it gives them a better sense of how much time it will take to ride to their destination.

Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why regular subway riders say that the new map gives them a better sense of how much time it will take to ride to their destination?

(A) The new map is more compact, making it much easier for subway riders to carry and to use. Incorrect

easy to carry and to use cant show that it gives riders better sense of time

(B) Improvements in the subway system have cut the average duration of a regular subway rider’s trip by twenty percent. Incorrect

Irrelevant, it doesnt talk about new map

(C) The new map, unlike the old map, lists the times that each subway line is in operation on each day of the week. Incorrect

lists the times of subway line cant give the better sense of time between two stops

(D) On the new map, circles representing stops have numbers indicating the average number of minutes to the next stop. Correct

it shows average time required between two stops, so it gives better sense of time

(E) The old map showed several stops that were actually out of operation for more than a year. Incorrect

Irrelevant
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Official Explanation:

The city of Borgen, which has an extensive subway system, has made available a new map that, unlike the old map, does not show the relative distances between stops; any pair of consecutive stops appears as close as any other pair of consecutive stops. Despite this difference, most regular subway riders prefer the new map, saying that it gives them a better sense of how much time it will take to ride to their destination.

Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why regular subway riders say that the new map gives them a better sense of how much time it will take to ride to their destination?

(A) The new map is more compact, making it much easier for subway riders to carry and to use.
(B) Improvements in the subway system have cut the average duration of a regular subway rider’s trip by twenty percent.
(C) The new map, unlike the old map, lists the times that each subway line is in operation on each day of the week.
(D) On the new map, circles representing stops have numbers indicating the average number of minutes to the next stop.
(E) The old map showed several stops that were actually out of operation for more than a year.

Question Type: Resolve Paradox
Boil It Down: Borgen’s new subway map no longer shows the relative distance between stops, yet riders say it helps them better gauge how long each trip will take.
Goal: Find the most logical reason that subway riders would give for why the new map helps them gauge how long their trip will take.

Analysis:

This question asks you to explain an apparent paradox. (This is not a classic logical argument with premises and a conclusion.) The paradox is that people say that the new map gives them a better sense of how long their rides will be even though every pair of consecutive stops is the same distance apart on the map, regardless of how far apart the stops actually are. This would seem to make it harder, not easier to determine ride times. There’s the paradox.

The correct choice, D, provides the information that resolves the apparent paradox. People can accurately judge their trip times with the new map because the actual time is printed right on the map. It’s that simple!

(A) This gives a reason that people would prefer the new map, but it does not resolve the paradox, which involves people preferring the new map for a specific reason: riders can better judge their ride times.

(B) This is irrelevant to the usefulness of the maps. It’s all about the maps.

(C) Simply knowing the times that the lines are in operation does help with knowing how long it takes to get from one stop to the next.

(D) This is the correct choice.

(E) This indicates that the new map is an improvement, but not in the way specified, which is that it’s more useful for judging ride times.

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The city of Borgen, which has an extensive subway system, has made available a new map that, unlike the old map, does not show the relative distances between stops; any pair of consecutive stops appears as close as any other pair of consecutive stops. Despite this difference, most regular subway riders prefer the new map, saying that it gives them a better sense of how much time it will take to ride to their destination.

Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain why regular subway riders say that the new map gives them a better sense of how much time it will take to ride to their destination?

(A) The new map is more compact, making it much easier for subway riders to carry and to use.
(B) Improvements in the subway system have cut the average duration of a regular subway rider’s trip by twenty percent.
(C) The new map, unlike the old map, lists the times that each subway line is in operation on each day of the week.
(D) On the new map, circles representing stops have numbers indicating the average number of minutes to the next stop.
(E) The old map showed several stops that were actually out of operation for more than a year.

POE: Reasoning should reflect how the new map turned helpful for riders by giving them a better sense of travel time.Lets look into each option one by one-

A-Compactness is not the min concern. Incorrrect

B- This one doesn't talk about New maps.Out of scope.

C- A good contender but reading carefully we will come to know that it talks about subway line rather than stops/destination.Hence Incorrect

D-Correct.Gives a perfect reason how riders will have a better sense of time to be taken in their ride and also links up well with already provided reason in passage.

E- Our concern is new map.This possibility may or may not happen in new map too.Out of scope.

Hence D is the correct answer.

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Atul Pandey
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